Epa: Asbestos In One-fifth Of Public Buildings

WASHINGTON — One in every five public and commercial buildings contains some potentially dangerous asbestos, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated Monday in a new report.

But the agency rejected calls to expand large-scale inspection and cleanup efforts beyond what is now being done in schools. ''Don't panic. There's nothing to suggest . . . there are terrible conditions that exist out there,'' EPA Assistant Administrator John A. Moore cautioned.

Critics, however, blasted the EPA's assessment as a tame response to a widespread problem.

The agency's report was ordered by Congress to determine whether the asbestos problem in public and commercial buildings warranted the same extensive response that has been put in place in the nation's school buildings through a $3 billion program.

Using a 1984 building survey, the EPA estimated 733,000 public and commercial buildings, or 20 percent of the facilities studied nationwide, contain some ''friable'' asbestos. That means the asbestos, a known carcinogen that was once commonly used as insulation, can readily crumble under pressure, making it likely to release dangerous fibers.

By comparison, past surveys have indicated that a third of all public schools contained asbestos.

Beyond the percentage of buildings affected, Moore suggested that schools demand a greater response to the problem than other facilities because of students' longer life expectancies and their ''rough play,'' which may jar asbestos fibers free.